The rise of streaming content didn’t just become a threat to the cinematic experience; it strangled it.
The golden age of cinemas is dead, and now streaming services are having a damaging effect on dragging Television into the same grave.
For decades, Cinemas have been a shared popular outlet for people to escape reality for a couple of hours, lie back and watch a movie in front of a big screen. However, now times are changing and technology is evolving. Many people argue that streaming services facilitate easier access to content, but this may have a detrimental effect on eroding shared cultural moments that have been around for decades. Everyone loves convenience, as do I, but popular streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ are stripping away cinema audiences due to the convenience of watching movies from the comfort of their own home. The global theatre attendance dropped by 4% in 2021, largely due to the increasing availability of films and shows on streaming services.
Netflix is the main culprit, as it has reached 301.6 million global subscribers as of August 2025, continuing to dominate the streaming industry. Streaming services are driven by greed and profit, as they prioritise quantity over quality. Their strategy is to keep their subscribers hooked by offering an overwhelming number of shows and movies on the platform. Want to know the result? Overwhelming content overload, burnout from binge-watching, and a decline in meaningful storytelling.
Another major issue facing cinemas is that new releases are being made available on streaming platforms, sometimes bypassing theatres altogether. In the past, we as audiences would go to the cinema to watch the latest movies, and then we would have to wait months for them to appear on streaming services. It was a pain, but nowadays, it takes about 30 days for streaming services to gain access to the rights to stream new movies.
YouTube video – How Streaming Services Are Killing Movie Theatres
Television is, unfortunately, following cinema’s demise. TV is suffocating under the pressure of streaming services. It just can’t compete. Instead of flicking through channels with limited options, audiences can scroll and have an overwhelming number of choices of what they can watch. So what will happen if we lose movie theatres and TV entirely?
As someone who went to the cinema with my grandma every weekend when I was younger, I would hate to see the cinema shut down. Losing such a shared universal experience would be heartbreaking for the past, present and future generations.
If we don’t push against the power of streaming services before it’s too late, we risk losing a cultural relic that has been around for decades.
References and Links
Streaming media and cinema statistics: https://motionpicture.edu/socialcinema/2023/06/19/the-impact-of-streaming-services-on-the-movie-industry/
Netflix subscribers statistics: https://www.demandsage.com/netflix-subscribers/
Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fK8wiCBwpc
Kathrynf 
Alexander Hanjin De Filippo 
Eabha Quinn